Review into case of sex offender who raped schoolgirl after release from prison

A Hampshire Police custody picture of Charlie White, 18, of White Hart Lane, Fareham, who was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl just nine weeks after leaving prison for a sex assault on a 13-year-old girl when he was aged 16.

Ben Fishwick

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AGENCIES involved in monitoring a sex offender who raped a schoolgirl after his release from jail are reviewing if anything went wrong in managing him.

Police say that continued awareness of offenders such as Charlie White is a duty taken seriously.

The 18-year-old from Fareham was freed in September after being jailed for sexual assault of a girl, aged just 13, when he was 16.

But the teenager went on to convince a 15-year-old girl he befriended on Facebook to meet him and then raped her.

Hampshire Constabulary works on the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements framework with the probation service, prison service, local authorities and housing associations, to actively manage and monitor offenders.

The force said it was unable to comment on the White case.

But in a statement a spokeswoman said: ‘Hampshire Constabulary invests significant resources into the protection of the public and the management of offenders - including registered sex offenders. It is a duty we take very seriously.’

She added: ‘Such offenders are dealt with individually, according to the identified risks, and decisions affecting them are made after very careful consideration of their circumstances.

‘In significant cases of further offending, serious case reviews are held to examine whether all agencies involved did all they reasonably could to effectively manage the risks and to establish whether there are any learning points.

‘Commenting on cases which are subject to a serious case review risks undermining the process and pre-judging the outcome.

‘Once complete, the learning from each serious case review is acted on to ensure that partnership public-protection arrangements are as effective as possible.’

Teenager Charlie White had already been put on the sex offenders’ register for assaulting a girl.

When he was 16 years old White, now 18, of White Hart Lane, Fareham, was seen assaulting an ‘inebriated girl’ at a party.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard his previous victim was just 13 at the time.

Prosecutor Tom Wright said: ‘This defendant was seen to be behind her moving around in a way that people took to be sexual activity. He made comments that bore that out.

‘He pleaded guilty to the assault.

‘She was 13, he was 16. He’s still a young man as he was at the time of the offence.’